


According to plan

by Drifting_clouds



Series: Wakanda Forever! [1]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, a bit of silliness, but with a bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-04-27 07:31:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14420571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drifting_clouds/pseuds/Drifting_clouds
Summary: T’Challa hates Klaue, but that’s definitely because the man is a criminal and not because he’s flirting with agent Ross. Now if only the others would focus on the mission instead of making fun of their king… basically a retelling of the casino scene and what comes after that.





	1. The pink flamingo

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I try to write a fic with different point of views, so the events that take part on the first part of the movie kind of overlap in the various chapters. English is not my mother tongue, so I apologize for the mistakes and the very creative use of punctuation.

“Oh, so you’re the famous Everett Ross!” That's the first thing that Nakia says as T'Challa finally introduces the man standing in front of her, grinning at both men’s embarrassed smiles “Our royal highness talked so much about you that I feel like I’ve known you forever!”

“Is he there?” Shuri yells through the comm, ¬startling her. “What does he look like? Is he cute?”

“Rather cute.” Okoye confirms and it’s fairly obvious that T’Challa would love to glare at the Dora Milaje, if only he could do that without giving her position away. “But no respect whatsoever for the royal protocol.”

“I knew it!”

“As if you haven’t gone through his personal file at least three times already, princess!”

“Aww, but it isn't the same as having him standing in front of you! I knew I should have installed my new nano-camera on your ring, Nakia… I'd give half of my lab for a 3D hologram of my brother’s face at this very moment!”

T'Challa has taken Ross aside and the two of them are engrossed in a heated discussion (no doubt about Klaue's fate) when the king mumbles something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like brat, earning a funny look from the agent.

"What was that, my king?" Shuri asks "Nakia, what did my brother just say?"

"Something that I'm pretty sure it’s not the appropriate way to address a princess."

“Will you just shut up?" T’Challa grumbles as he makes his way back to the spy. “In case you forgot, we're here with a purpose… and that purpose is not to drive your king crazy with your endless chit-chat!”

Nakia nods and flashes him a dazzling smile while she clings to his arm like an adoring girlfriend and leads him to the bar, where elegant patrons are too busy sipping expensive-looking drinks to pay attention to them.

“Of course, my beloved!” She says sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him. “Let me order one of those pink cocktails with a little umbrella in it while you pretend that you’re not watching agent Ross’ every move. By the way, he looks fine in that suit, don’t you think?”

"Please remind me why I didn't come to Busan by myself, after all I am the..."

"Sooo… did you reach an agreement with Ross?" The princess impatiently cuts him off mid-sentence “What about Klaue?”

The answer does nothing to impress Shuri, at least judging from her sarcastic reply, but T'Challa is the king of Wakanda so they have to accept his decision, no matter how unfair it might seem that a criminal like Ulysses Klaue could get away with a slap on the wrist after everything that he's done.

Nakia smiles and nods her thanks to the bartender as the man slips two drinks in front of them, taking a cautious sip of her neon pink cocktail before confirming through her comm that T'Challa did indeed freeze like an antelope in headlights when he saw agent Ross like the love-struck fool that he is (she doesn't say this last part out loud, though). And it doesn't hurt the slightest to see how the king’s affection has shifted to someone else because she could never be a good queen and her life is not in Wakanda anymore, at least until her country doesn’t stop hiding from the rest of the world.

_He's trading a spy for a CIA agent, after all… at least he won’t have time to get bored._

“Klaue’s here.” T’Challa mumbles, glaring with ill-concealed disgust as the arm dealer makes his entrance escorted by his entourage (Nakia counts ten men, scattering around the casino). _Oh, for Bast's sake! Stop staring at them like you’re about to murder someone, you fool!_ She thinks, hooking a finger under her king’s chin and trying to turn his face away before the criminal could spot them, but T’Challa's eyes remain stubbornly fixed on the two men on the opposite side of the room. When Klaue slings an arm around Ross' neck, T’Challa tenses even more and looks ready to step in even if the agent is looking straight at him, shaking his head slightly. 

“Your highness.” Okoye says sternly through her comm and Nakia doesn’t need to look up to see the general of the Dora Milaje staring in disapproval at T'Challa from the balcony "I believe that agent Ross can handle his job, don’t you think?”

The king growls something (possibly an agreement) and chugs the whisky in front of him in one gulp, slamming the empty glass down on the bar with so much force that it’s a miracle that it doesn’t shatter into a thousand pieces. Nakia giggles and pushes her drink forward leaning over to whisper in his ear:

“Careful darling, someone here might think that you’re actually jealous!”

T’Challa downs the pink cocktail as well, before turning to glare at her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“You could have fooled me.” She says with a mischievous grin. “If only you’d managed to say that without gritting your teeth.”

Nakia rests a hand on T’Challa’s arm, feeling the tension ripple through the firm muscles under her fingertips. 

“Relax.” She warns him as she leans closer, her soft lips brushing across his cheek. “If you move now, you’ll only put Ross in danger… Klaue might look like an idiot, but he's an armed idiot... and the last thing we need right now is a hostage situation with a CIA agent as a bargaining chip.”

“I know.” He sighs. “You’re right.”

She’s still smiling as she kisses him gently on the cheek while her eyes never lose track of the criminal in front of them.

“Let your future consort finish the exchange and walk away before you intervene… and now, do you think you could pretend to pay attention to me for a few minutes or do I have to throw a tantrum?"

“When we’re back to Wakanda I swear that I’ll have all of you banished.”

Nakia laughs and gives him a knowing look.

"But then what would you do without us, my king?"


	2. The entourage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the lovely comments and the kudos... here's chapter two with Everett POV!

Everett Ross wonders why everything happens to him. This was supposed to be an easy mission, but the presence of the king of Wakanda is a clear sign that things are going to get messy, he can feel that. Not to mention that the man is a considerable distraction. 

_Stop thinking that he looks way better than James Bond in that suit_ , he tells himself with an annoyed sigh, while he checks his watch, _and focus on the fact that Klaue should have arrived fifteen minutes ago!_

As if on cue, the man steps into the casino like he owns the place and Everett cannot but give T’Challa an amused look before taking a deep breath and heading to greet the arm dealer.

“This is quite the entourage.” he says with a grin as he shakes hands with Klaue “You got a mixtape coming out?"

"Yeah, actually, I'll send you the link."

“That won’t be necessary. Please, don’t make me listen to your music.”

“You wound me.” the arm dealer cries out, clutching at his chest theatrically “I’m a very sensitive creature and I'll let you know that I have an amazing taste in music... and in other things as well.”

“I'm sure you do. Can we please get on with the exchange?”

“Why the hurry? At least, let me buy you a drink… good company is so hard to find these days, don’t you agree?” Klaue says with a smug chuckle as he slings a meaty arm around Everett’s neck. 

The agent tries to dislodge it with a little shrug, but the criminal only tightens his hold so Everett sighs, wondering if he could use his briefcase to hit him in the face. That would probably sour the deal, but the crunching sound of the other man’s nose as it breaks would definitely be very satisfying.

“I’d like to know you better, I’m sure we could have a lot of fun together… if you catch my drift.” 

_Good Lord, did Klaue just wink at me?_ The CIA agent tries his best not to cringe at the thought, _seriously, what is that creep trying to accomplish?_

His gaze flicks towards T’Challa standing at the bar with a glass in his hand, expecting to find the man laughing at his predicament. But the king looks incredibly sober and his intense gaze is something that takes him by surprise. _If looks could kill, by now Klaue would be a pile of dust on the floor… or is he just pissed at me because I told him he can't take the arm dealer back to Wakanda?_ Everett knows that he should avert his eyes before Klaue could notice the other man. T’Challa looks ready to pounce, though, so the agent risks a single shake of his head, hoping that the movement is going to be enough to keep the man from meddling.

“Oh, I’m afraid I’m a very boring person.” he replies pleasantly enough, choosing to deliberately ignore the terrible pick-up line as he focuses back on Klaue. “Not fun at all.”

“I'm pretty sure that you underestimate yourself… whoever steps into a South Korean casino carrying a briefcase full of diamonds, most definitely has an interesting story to tell… so are you here by yourself or do you have a partner?”

“Klaue, the vibranium” he reminds the man with a little smile that tries not to let his impatience on. "Let’s get back to the vibranium, shall we?"

“All right my friend, no need to get your panties in a twist … after all, can you really blame someone for trying to spend a few more minutes in your company?” He says as he begins to unzip his trousers with a lewd grin, making quite a display of reaching inside for something. 

_What the- oh, the vibranium!_ Because, of course, the vibranium is actually hidden inside Klaue’s trousers, how silly of him not to have taken that possibility into consideration. _First Zemo, then Berlin and now this psycho… is it a boring mission not involving insane supervillains too much to ask?_

Snickering at the look of disgust on his face, the arm dealer places the chunk of metal on a nearby gaming table with a satisfied smirk.

“You really couldn’t find some time to devise a better case, could you?” 

“What do you want me to say... I live to impress!”

“Right.” Everett sighs and tries to hand him the briefcase with the diamonds, but he gets ignored by the other man who continues to stare intently at him "Well, it’s been a real pleasure doing business with you, I guess…”

“How about that drink you promised me?” 

“I’m not really thirsty and as much as I’d love to spend more time with you, my flight leaves in two hours so I’m afraid I’ll have to take a rain check until we meet again.”

“No, no, no, Cinderella, what’s the hurry?” Klaue shakes his head while he grips Everett’s arm, and for the first time the agent feels a cold shiver of unease along his spine. The criminal leans forward and there is something in his gaze that reminds him of a snake ready to strike. “Midnight is still sooo far away… so why do you want to leave the ball so soon? After all, that suit looks very pretty on you agent Ross, don't you think it would be a pity to ruin it?”

Everett almost, ALMOST, rolls his eyes even as he realizes that his cover has just been blown to pieces. Should he bother to deny Klaue’s claim? Probably not. Could he reach for his gun without getting shot? With his left arm trapped in the criminal's grip and the other hand still holding the case with the diamonds, the odds are definitely not in his favour. 

“How do you know who I am?”

“What, you don't even try to talk your way out of this?” Klaue clicks his tongue as his hand slowly caresses Ross’ arm up and down “I admit I am disappointed. I was expecting some creative obfuscation that would explain the presence of king T’Challa in Jagalchi.”

Everett shrugs.

“Would you believe me if I told you he’s my lover?”

The hand on his arm slides down his suit to clamp around his wrist, twisting it with so much force that the agent sees stars.

“You’re a funny man, Everett Ross… now I see why my associate is so eager to meet you.”

Everett shudders at the crazy, shark-like smile, wondering how things have managed to go to hell so quickly. _I shouldn’t have underestimated him_ , he thinks, _but there was no indication in the files they gave me of a second person's involvement._

“And who might this associate be?”

“Oh dear, oh dear, we shall be too late…” Klaue pretends to check the expensive-looking watch on his wrist “our carriage awaits us, so let's make haste before it turns into a pumpkin.”

“Do you really think that I’ll go without a fight?”

“And I would expect nothing less from you, sweetheart, but allow me to say one thing to try and settle this peacefully. There are several men under my command in this room… you’re a spy, I’m sure you can easily spot them.”

Everett’s eyes widen in horror. Klaue sniggers then he steps so close that, for a split second, the agent is afraid that he's going to kiss him, but the arm dealer just leans close enough to whisper into his ear.

"You try to warn your precious king T’Challa and I kill him… you refuse to come with me and I give the order to start gunning down everyone in this casino starting from him… now you see why you have to shut your mouth and follow me, don’t you?”


	3. Listen up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you so so for much for the lovely feedback!

“Just to be clear” Shuri exclaims, a tinge of amusement coloring her voice, “did my brother just promise agent Ross that he can have Klaue just because the colonizer asked nicely?”

“Uh-uh” Okoye confirms, somehow managing to convey her stern disapproval through that single sound.

“Man, you really must have a massive crush on him! Wait until mother knows about this! Can’t you just picture her sitting at her desk and writing wedding invitations to the leaders of the five tribes?”

T'Challa sighs in frustration.

“It is the right thing to do. Klaue is one of the most wanted criminals in the world and…”

“Yeah, yeah… I’m sure that keeping the world safe was you primary concern as agent Ross batted his big eyes at you.” Shuri dismisses the rest of his explanation with an eye roll that everyone can see perfectly even though the girl is thousands of miles away “Nakia, you were there... did he freeze?”

“I never freeze.”

“Like an antelope in headlights." The spy confirms. “A rather embarrassing moment.”

“Will you just shut up?" T’Challa grumbles. “We're here on a mission, in case you forgot.”

Shuri giggles and sprawls in a chair, putting her feet on the main lab console and scrolling lazily through Everett K. Ross’ file on her datapad. The girl knows that the information is classified, but she cares about her brother enough to double-check any potential suitor and the agent is definitely a very interesting one (at least judging from the list of successful missions or that of his injuries in the line of duty).

And even if, at first sight, the man looks like a kitten, the girl knows that appearances are often deceiving because no one survives 15 years as a CIA operative ( _Iraq, Afghanistan, South America, Hong Kong... is there a place in the world where he hasn’t been?_ ) without picking up a few tricks of the trade. Not to mention his past as an Air Force pilot that makes him even more interesting.

T'Challa's voice through her comm brings her back to the mission. Her brother sounds annoyed and ready to spring into action (which is unlike him) and only Okoye’s intervention keeps his from moving.

_Hold on... is T'Challa jealous?_ Wonders the girl, _okay this is fun and I'll make tease him forever, but right now that won't do. He needs to focus on the mission before somebody gets hurt!_

"Brother? I really hate to be the voice of reason but..."

"Not now Shuri."

_Very well, you leave me no choice_ , she thinks while her fingers keys in a command on her datapad. 

“What happened?” T’Challa says tensely “Why can’t I no longer hear what’s going on between Klaue and Ross?”

“Relax” the girl tells him “I cut off the communication...”

“Shuri, this is no time to play games!”

“I’m not playing, but T’Challa you need to be able to focus on EVERY thing that goes on around you. How many men does Klaue have? What happens if one of them manages to get a lucky hit at Nakia or Okoye because you're too focused on Ross and his fancy suit?"

T'Challa mumbles something unintelligible.

"What was that?"

"I said that you're right."

"I'm always right and we both know it." 

“You’re recording this conversation, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am!” She says with a grin. “Focus. Get Klaue. Ask agent Ross out."

"Shuri..."

"I will be listening."

_// I’d like to know you better, I’m sure we could have a lot of fun together… if you catch my drift //_

_Is that idiot actually hitting on him?_ The girl chortles, as she stuffs a handful of plantain chips in her mouth, munching them loudly, _man, this is seriously gross!_ And the entire exchange would even be very entertaining if the girl didn’t know that Ulysses Klaue was a ruthless assassin and one of the biggest threats to Wakanda.

Poor agent Ross, she doesn’t envy him at all... who knows if the CIA has trained him to face this kind of situations, she wonders, grinning at the mix of amusement and frustration she can hear in his voice.

_// Well, it’s been a real pleasure doing business with you, I guess...//_

_The deal is done, very good. Now hand him the diamonds, get the vibranium and let my brother take it from here!_

And yet Klaue rambles on about drinks and Disney princesses and there’s a tension now seeping in the agent’s voice that makes her nervous too, so she sits up straight, wondering if she should warn T’Challa. 

She hesitates, though, even if she's not worried about her brother. He's the Black Panther, after all, and the latest version of the suit will protect him from any damage that Klaue or anyone else could cause. But inside the casino there are hundreds of people and one wrong move would put all of them in danger.

_Come on, agent Ross_ , she thinks as her fingers drum impatiently on the desk, _get yourself out of harm’s way so that my brother can finally get his hands on that lunatic without you or anyone else being caught in the crossfire!_

Suddenly, there is static in her ear and the communicator falls silent. Shuri curses but it takes her at least thirty seconds before she can actually solve the problem and hear Klaue’s voice once again.

_// You’re a funny man, Everett Ross… now I see why my associate is so eager to meet you. //_

_He knows he’s an agent!_ What the arm dealer is saying - the way he's saying it - hits her like a ton of bricks and sends a shiver down her spine. _// You try to warn your precious king T’Challa and I kill him… you refuse to come with me and I give the order to start gunning down everyone in this casino starting from him… now you see why you have to shut your mouth and follow me, don’t you...//_

“Brother” she whispers urgently “We have a problem. I believe that Klaue's planning on taking agent Ross with him!”


	4. The Black Panther

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual sorry for my weird grammar and spelling... feel free to point out any mistakes!

“Brother, we have a problem. I believe that Klaue's planning on taking agent Ross with him!"

T'Challa springs forward as soon as he hears Shuri's anxious words, but he's not surprised to catch a glimpse of Okoye's spear already whirling around on the balcony.

Klaue grins when he notices him and opens his arms in a challenge then all hell breaks loose. The arm dealer howls a maniacal laugh and starts shooting wildly and Everett barely has enough time to lift his briefcase before three bullets at point-blank pierce it, leaving him miraculously unharmed. 

T'Challa grabs one of the gaming tables and flips it over, diving for cover behind it while all around him people screams and scatters in all directions.

“Your majesty” Everett greets him as he takes cover behind the same table and he doesn’t look surprised to find the king of Wakanda there. “How is it that when you’re around chances of a shootout seem to increase exponentially?”

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Why the hell did you move?! Things were going according to plan!"

T’Challa rolls his eyes before grasping the agent and pulling the man towards him. 

"Are you injured?" he asks, taking advantage of the cramped space to pat Ross's arm and chest, looking for bullet holes.

"Will you stop pawing at me?” Everett grumbles as he tries to bat away T’Challa’s hand clutching his shoulder, crouching even lower when a bullet hits the table, sending splinters flying above their heads. “I’m perfectly all right!”

“You’re not wearing a vest!” the king exclaims, glaring accusingly at the other man “Why aren’t you wearing a bulletproof vest?”

“And you want to discuss this now??”

“I can't think of a better moment since they're shooting at us from all sides!”

Barking a laugh, Everett tries to locate Klaue while he reaches for his holstered gun.

“Well, I was supposed to be a simple businessman, a vest would have drawn too much attention…"

“Do you at least have some back up?”

“Of course I do! Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“And where would it be?”

“Outside.” Ross mumbles, averting his eyes.

 _Let me get you out of here safe and sound and then I'll throttle you myself!_ The king tells himself.

“T’Challa… Klaue’s getting away!” Nakia shouts as she runs past them, stopping only to knock down one of the arm dealer’s goons with a great combat move that the man now laying flat on his back with a broken nose (and possibly a concussion) never saw coming.

“You heard her” the agent dismisses him with a wave of the hand “Go do your super hero stuff and let me do my job!”

T'Challa snorts.

“Stay down. Don't get shot.” 

He doesn’t add please, because he’s the king of Wakanda and kings don’t beg, but he can tell that the other man senses it anyway because he turns once again to face him with a small smile. 

“Don’t get shot. I like that piece of advice.” Ross nods, patting T'Challa's hand still resting on his shoulder. “Believe it or not, this is kind of my top priority at the moment!"

“Don’t get shot?” his sister exclaims suddenly through the comm as he dashes outside and activates his suit “Aww brother, this is just too cute!”

“Shuri… shut up and drive!”

The girl cackles while the car under his feet roars to life.

“I swear that if you don’t ask him out soon, I’ll put you out of your misery and do it for you!”

“You’re distracting me.”

"All right, all right, I’ll let you do your super hero stuff!"

The arm dealer hangs from the side of his SUV and uses his sonic cannon to shoot at him. The car under T’challa’s feet crumples, but the Black Panther leaps using his suit to run effortlessly up the side of a skyscraper before using his momentum to pounce directly on the roof of Klaue’s vehicle.

"You're such a show-off!"

Under his mask, T'Challa grins ferally. 

“Brother” Shuri says, turning abruptly serious “Get Klaue and keep him away from agent Ross… I don’t like that lunatic and some of the things he said were a bit disturbing!”

T’Challa’s eyes narrow to slits, but the girl chooses not to elaborate further. He would have to listen to the conversation between Everett and the arm dealer, but not now. He'd better wait until he's back to Wakanda, with Ulysses Klaue locked up in a maximum-security prison half a world away and safe from his desire to rip the arm dealer’s throat open. 

“But don’t kill him.” she hastens to add as if she has read his thoughts.

“I won’t.” He answers curtly. Not yet at least, he tells himself while his vibranium claws rip one of the wheels off and the SUV slides to a complete stop.


	5. The glare

Okoye really cannot understand her king’s attraction to the CIA agent and this is why she keeps glaring at the man as she waits for a false move. She would have loved to threaten the American in a thousand creative ways, but, unfortunately for her, T’Challa is too smitten with Ross, so she just mutters curses in Xhosa every time the man takes too many liberties.

Behind the one-way mirror, Ulysses Klaue is duct taped and cuffed to a chair and he’s waiting to be interrogated, alternating between screaming and cackling madly. Okoye stares at the word _thief_ branded on the criminal’s neck and shakes her head in disgust.

"Allow me to talk to him."

“Didn’t we already have this conversation?”

“That was before Klaue went trigger-happy in a crowded casino!”

“Look, I understand that Wakanda has unfinished business with him, but we need to ensure his cooperation... he might have some valuable intel on vibranium weapons sold on the black market or about future terrorist attacks. Not to mention that he talked about an associate and I think it would be in your best interest to know more about that person, wouldn't it?"

“You're right... let's go question him, then!”

“Are you a CIA agent? Because unless you have become one when I wasn’t looking, there is no way that I’ll allow you to walk into that interrogation room and talk to my prisoner!”

“You’re not going in there alone!”

“Excuse me?” 

The agent turns to stare at T'Challa, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

_Way to go!_ Okoye thinks drily as she tries to keep an impassive face, wondering how her king could keep forgetting all of T'Chaka's lessons in diplomacy exactly when he needs them most.

Agent Ross takes a deep calming breath, probably to avoid saying something he might regret (a smart move, so she won’t have to skewer him with her spear for being disrespectful toward her king) and lifts a hand to rub at his forehead, wincing at the movement. 

There’s a ring of fresh bruises circling the American’s wrist and when the man notices it, he gingerly tries to pull the sleeve of his jacket down to cover the marks, but he’s not quick enough to keep the othes from noticing them.

“What is this?” T’Challa growls as he grasps the other man’s arm in a surprisingly gentle hold, turning the wrist to examine the bruises mottling the American’s pale skin “When did this happen?”

Agent Ross shrugs.

“Did Klaue do it?”

“Possibly.”

“That's it. I’m coming with you.”

“Klaue is my prisoner!”

“I’m not disputing that, but now that I’ve seen what he can do…” 

“Thanks a lot for the confidence! Look, he's cuffed and duct taped to the chair, I believe I can handle the man even without a bodyguard in a cat suit trying to intimidate him!” 

“He could have snapped your wrist like a twig!” T’Challa cries out in frustration, probably realizing only then that he’s still cradling said wrist in his hand, but without letting go of it “Not to mention that the creep hit on you… how can you possibly be so cool about that?”

“It’s called being professional!” Ross says through gritted teeth “And, by the way, I don’t think he was really hitting on me. I mean, he was probably just trying to get under my skin to mess things up… he would have done the same with anyone, because, well… because he’s a total nutcase!”

T’Challa stares at him like he’s gone crazy as well and even Okoye has to snort.

“Agent Ross?” Nakia shakes her head with a small smile when the man turns to look at her “Trust me, he was definitely flirting with you.”

“Oh.” He says “Are you sure? God, I’m bad at noticing this kind of stuff!"

_Tell me about it_ , Okoye thinks while she looks sideways at the agent and T'Challa, still closer than any royal protocol would allow. _Bast, he's like an oblivious halla drinking at a waterhole and waiting to be pounced on by some wild animal._

No, not a halla... hallas are harmless creatures fleeing at the first sight of troubles, while this American agent is not afraid to meet with a crazy arm dealer with very little backup or to stand his ground against a king and a superhero (and Okoye cannot but grudgingly admire him for this).

"So how are we going to do this... bad cop, good cop?"

Agent Ross rolls his eyes.

"You watch way too many American movies, your majesty." He tells him with a grin, patting T'Challa on the chest "Let's go, before I change my mind."

_And before I impale you on that desk_ , Okoye thinks with a shake of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again... thanks for reading! In case you're wondering what a halla looks like, I got inspired by Dragon Age Origins so google that for a pic ;)


	6. The outsiders

Ulysses Klaue sits on a chair in the middle of the interrogation room and he's singing the third verse of _What is love_ when the door finally opens.

"It's so nice to see you again agent Ross... I was thinking about you! Do you like this song? I find it very romantic!"

"I'm sure it was the best part of your mixtape."

The arm dealer laughs.

"I'm glad to see that your lover could join us this time!"

"Lover?"

"Don’t ask."

“I don’t think I will.”

Ross flashes the king of Wakanda a small grin before he sits down on the chair facing Ulysses, crossing his arms and staring intently at him. T’Challa stands tall and stiff behind him, looking more like a bodyguard than some royalty, and Klaue begins to consider that they might indeed be lovers like Killmonger claims. 

His right wrist flexes as he tests once again the cuff that keeps him shackled, but the agent’s eyes follow his movement so the arm dealer wills himself to relax against the back of the chair, offering Everett Ross a pleasant smile. T'Challa glares at him and, good God, if Klaue wouldn't like to be able to lunge forward and grab the agent just to wipe that look off the king’s face!

"What happened to that fancy suit of yours? Not that you don't look fine in these clothes too... much more relaxed."

"Who wouldn't be, now that we have one of the most wanted criminals in the world in custody?"

Klaue chuckles.

"Oh Everett, you say the sweetest things..."

"We don't have time for your chit-chat." T'Challa interrupts him sharply then he turns to the agent. "Do you think we can get on with the interrogation?"

"Is your majesty jealous? Don’t be, this is just some harmless flirting, I assure you."

"Getting yourself killed to avoid some questions is not going to work. Of course, you have a right to remain silent and I won’t insist further if you refuse to answer” Ross sighs, without even bothering to hide the little smile on his face. “I’m sure that S.H.I.E.L.D. would love to a have a word or two with you, so if you’re lucky enough you’ll even get to meet miss Romanov, what do you say?"

"Awww, please don't do that!" he pouts "She's scary and she's nowhere near as cute as you."

The agent rolls his eyes.

“Back at the casino you mentioned an associate that…”

“Tell me something, Everett. What do you know about Wakanda?"

"It's a third world country. Textiles, shepherds." The agent replies with a shrug as he looks sideways at the man standing beside him, lips curling in a little smile "Cool outfits."

Klaue would love to lean forward with the air of someone who’s ready to share a big secret if only the bloody duct tape didn’t keep him from moving. 

"All a front.” He says, chuckling at the agent’s feigned indifference. "I can assure you."

Then Ulysses turns directly to the king, his smile widening at the stony eyes meeting his. _This is going to be so much fun!_

“You haven’t told him, have you? Well, I feel generous today, so I’m going to do it for you!” He exclaims gleefully “Where do you think my beautiful arm cannon comes from, Everett? Technology like this is very hard to find!"

“Are you implying that your weapon is actually from Wakanda?”

“Bingo.” The criminal nods with satisfaction “Don’t you want to know how I got it?”

“That’s not why I’m here, but I bet you’ll tell me anyway.” Ross heaves a resigned sigh and motions him to continue, listening to the story of the criminal’s unfortunate deal with Ultron and how he has worked with N’Jobu to expose Wakanda to the rest of the world, stealing the vibranium and earning an awful scar in return.

"Congratulations, all of this is very interesting but... can we get to the point, please?"

"Of course, of course... the bottom line is that I'm the only one who's seen Wakanda and made out of it alive. Can you believe that after so many years they’re still mad at me? I wonder why!"

"Well, maybe it is because you’re a murderous bastard and the vibranium that you stole was their most precious resource and you took all of it."

"Oh no no no, you see, this is precisely what king T'Challa here conveniently forgot to tell you, Everett... they're literally sitting on a mountain of vibranium! And it’s not just that, his country is probably more advanced than any other nation on Earth... I’m talking about scientific progress like the cure to cancer that Wakanda willingly chose to keep secret instead of sharing it with the rest of us!"

The agent is finally staring at him now, a frown creasing his forehead. And, boy, if Klaue doesn't love the undivided attention!

"I mean, you must have noticed something! Even an idiot with half a brain could have seen that a third world country never would have had the technology to develop a suit like that one if..."

"Shut up." The king growls and he looks ready to pounce.

“Let him finish, T’Challa.” 

"He looks a lot like his old man right now, don't you think?" He says, ignoring the king to focus solely on the agent, as if this were a normal conversation between two friends sitting in a café "I thought his majesty here already shared the big secret with you, but after all, how could he possibly trust an outsider? And rest assured that you'll always be an outsider to him..."

 _Bingo_! This time Klaue knows that he hit the mark, because agent Ross is good, but not good enough to hide the mix of disbelief and betrayal flashing in his eyes as he turns to stare at T'Challa. Several seconds pass and just when the king looks ready to break the heavy silence ( _come on, confess... I want to see the look on Everett's face when you tell him about some of the technological marvels that you kept hidden!_ ), the agent shakes his head and goes back to stare at Ulysses with an unreadable expression on his face. 

"We're not here to talk about Wakanda." He says curtly and for a second Klaue is not sure that he’s even talking to him.

“Of course. I just thought that you had to know about this, sweetheart.”

“Out of the goodness of your heart, I’m sure.”

Klaue grins.

“I like you Everett... I really don’t want you to get hurt.” He tells him, “and this blind trust in king T'Challa will be the death of you if you are not careful.”

 _I definitely should not have said that_ , Klaue realizes all of a sudden, his eyes widening in alarm when T'Challa's fingers ball into fists and the man stalks towards him, ready to activate his cat suit. _Killmonger might be right after all, although both of you will soon wish that he weren't!_

Agent Ross stands in a smooth move, stepping between him and the king with a resolute expression.

"Don't you dare attack my prisoner!" He says in a low, cold voice, jabbing a finger at the other man’s chest and effectively stopping him before he could pounce on the arm dealer.

T'Challa lets out what could only be described as a roar and storms out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. 

"Oooh lovers' quarrel..."

The disgusted look that Everett gives him before leaving as well is enough to make him laugh hysterically.

He's still laughing when the wall of the interrogation room explodes in a cloud of debris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Klaue's POV was really fun!


	7. Checkmate

Inside the second-hand truck, Erik Stephens listens carefully to what is going on in the safe house. Beside him, Linda huffs and checks her gun once again with a nervous gesture of the hand.

"What are we waiting for?" She asks.

"The right moment." Erik answers mildly. “Do you remember the plan?”

Everyone nods.

“Yes.” The woman confirms when he gives her a pointed look.

“Then repeat it to me.”

"Get Klaue and get out."

“Good. It’s simple enough, isn’t it?” 

"But why can't we just kill them all now? You hate that cousin of yours... you told me how his family murdered your father and screwed your whole life... babe, I think it's high time that we settle the score!"

"Get Klaue and get out" he says with a growl that never fails to reduce to silence the people under his command "I'll deal with T'Challa when the right time comes!"

There are three mercenaries in the truck with them and they all nod again (they're not paid to question his orders and they know it) so Killmonger can go back to focus on what is going on in the interrogation room.

Once again Klaue seems to get a kick out of riling people up and once again agent Ross refuses to be baited even when it's fairly evident that the arm dealer's words about Wakanda have taken him off guard. _Ahhh cuz, like father like son... you're no different than your old man, I see._

_//I like you Everett... I really don’t want you to get hurt.//_ Klaue is saying and Erik's fingers clenches around the handle of his machine gun in a vice grip, fearing that the arm dealer is about to give the whole plan away _//And this blind trust in king T'Challa will be the death of you if you are not careful.//_

Killmonger shakes his head with an irritated sigh at the fascination that Klaue seems to have for the CIA operative and that he can't begin to understand, exactly how he cannot understand how his cousin could love such an insignificant man.

_Oh, I really wish I could find a way to destroy your faith in him, agent Ross,_ he muses with a cruel grin, _right before I rip your heart out in front of his very eyes!_

Nodding at Linda, who is staring at him with an excited expression, he grabs the explosives stacked beside him.

"Let's get going." he says curtly as he throws open the rear doors of the truck.

The back alley where they're parked is quiet and completely deserted. Erik moves stealthily and places the explosive charges on the graffiti-covered wall, motioning everyone to stand back as he slips his tribal mask on.

The wall explodes in a rain of smoke and debris and Klaue welcomes them by stomping his feet on the floor and laughing like a maniac. 

"My friend! It’s so nice to see you!" he cries out “I knew I could count on you!”

Erik’s finger caresses the trigger and for the longest moment, the man is tempted to put a bullet right between the arm dealer’s eyes. _You're lucky I still need you at least for a while_ , he thinks with disdain, _otherwise I’d leave your sorry body here as a present for the CIA like the trash that you are!_

One of his men is using a knife to cut through the duct tape keeping Klaue tied to the chair when sharp footsteps warn him that people are coming. Erik opens fire, grinning as he sees that his cousin is the first to enter the room. Ross shouts a warning, diving on top of Nakia to cover her, sending both of them crashing to the ground as one of the mercenaries takes aim and shoots. The bullet ricochets off the concrete floor, missing the agent's head by a couple of inches and Erik mutters a curse.

Ross jumps to his feet, elbowing the mercenary who shot at them in the chest before grabbing his wrist and using the momentum to twist it with so much force that the man screams in pain and drops the gun. Okoye finishes the job for him, hitting the man in the face with her spear and knocking him out cold. 

"T'Challa!" Nakia shouts, crouching behind the overturned chair and popping out to shoot one of the goons the chest "Don’t let Klaue get away!"

Erik motions his team to retreat and Linda nods and starts running towards the truck, yanking the arm dealer along with her. Killmonger grins and follows them, shooting a last volley of bullets before tossing the empty machine gun aside.  
His cousin means business now and he's activated his incredible cat suit so Erik throws a grenade at him, not at all surprised to see the Black Panther leap on top of it to protect people from the blast, only to jump back to his feet as if nothing has happened. _Lovely gadget you have there, but what happens when I target someone else? Are you faster than a bullet?_  
This is like a game of chess, Killmonger nods in satisfaction, where every piece is exactly where it is supposed to be. The moment he's been waiting for. _Klaue tried to warn you,_ he thinks as he lifts the tribal mask so that his cousin can see the grin on his face, _he tried to warn you, but you didn’t listen and now you won’t be able to stop me, cuz!_

In fluid gesture that speaks of year of practice, Erik pulls his gun out and shoots, hitting the CIA agent in the thigh. There’s a spray of blood and the man stumbles, looking down at the wound with a puzzled frown on his face. T’Challa understands then, Erik can tell that he does, as he tries to grab his lover to shield him, but he’s too late. He pulls the trigger a second time, his smile widening as he watches Everett Ross fall.

**END OF PART ONE**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you kill me... I'm working on the sequel, it might take me a little while but if you want to stick with me it'll eventually get done! As usual thanks for the lovely comments and the kudos...


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